Boys Before Alices
by iTomo
Summary: If they had only known what Life had planned for them, they would've both taken the next flight to the other side of the world. . . . Well, Natsume would have, in a personal luxury jet. Mikan would have just went home and read manga. /Loosely based off of Boys Over Flowers. NxM, HxR
1. From Howalons to Red Notes

**Hana Yori Dango : Gakuen Alice Edition**

Authoress: iTomo  
Chapter: One – From Howalons to Red Notes  
Published: November 29, 2009 - Revised July 14, 2013  
Notes: Italicized text - thoughts. Names will be in the Western format, as in First-Last name, and I will always refer to the school as Alice Academy.  


_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely people,

(Updated message from July 14, 2013)

Just to clear things up, **I am only in the process of watching the Korean film adaptation of Boys Over Flower**. I admit, I have not as much _touched_ the manga or anime of the very popular Hana Yori Dango, but I have watched the _Gakuen Alice_ anime and read the entire manga. I know the very basic plot, where Girl A goes to this SuperCoolSchool and meets Boy A and his gang of Boys B, C, and D, and such.

Anyway, on with the story, shall we?

Love,  
_iTomo_

* * *

"Alice Academy . . . Alice Academy. . . ."

It was a crisp Monday morning, with cool temperatures in the low 60's. It was a picture-perfect image of an October school morning; the sun shone brightly through fluffy clouds, and even at 7:15 AM, the city was pleasantly awake with the hum of morning business.

A young woman with mid-length brown hair was on a bike, leisurely pedaling down the side of a road. Her outfit consisted of a simple navy skirt, a light gray windbreaker, probably donned over a white collared shirt. With the exception of a random orange straw hat on the girl's head, she was clearly wearing the school uniform of a local high school. Two boxes of the famed _Umenomiya Howalons_ sat neatly in the basket compartment of her bicycle. The girl steered the handlebars with one hand, the other clutching a map; it was supposed to lead her to the previously-muttered destination, Alice Academy.

However, our lovable protagonist still couldn't locate the grand academy, even after checking the map, pedaling, and rechecking the map. She stopped the bike, took a deep breath, and glared up at the sky, only to be blinded by the sun.

"What now?" she groaned.

* * *

"Miiiiiiikan-chan!" Anna had greeted her last evening.

Mikan Sakura, otherwise known as our main character, looked up just in time to be attacked by a bundle of pink hair.

"Anna," Mikan grinned at her good friend and co-worker. "Is something wrong?"

Anna Umenomiya leaned back slightly and straightened her outfit and apron before giving her friend the guilty and pleading face she was known to pull off constantly, especially with her parents.

When the boss's daughter made a face like that, Mikan knew something was up. It was one of the very, _very_ few troubles she had with her job. She worked at one of the many Umenomiya Confectionaries Shoppes in Japan, owned by Mister and Missus Howard Umenomiya. Their only daughter was Anna, a pampered but well-meaning young lady.

"Mikan-chan," she began anxiously, "There's an order that needs to go out early tomorrow morning."

Mikan was confused. "I don't see what's wrong. We've done morning deliveries, before."

Anna cringed, "They said that I had to deliver it, but. . . ."

_Damn, this girl._

"You already have plans, so you want me to cover for you, right?" Mikan took a wild guess, hoping that she was wrong.

She wasn't.

Her friend shyly peeked out from behind her handkerchief (which appeared out of nowhere, by the way) and the edges of her lips turned upwards slightly, a grateful smile dancing on her face.

_'I can read minds,'_ Mikan groaned, but she smiled outwardly.

"Thank you! I owe you one, I really do!" Anna sang, eyes shining, "I told my boyfriend that we'd grab a coffee before school, so . . . you know."

"So where to?"

"Oh, um. Alice Academy," Anna gave her a fiercely apologetic smile.

The brunette's eyes widened.

* * *

After giving the damn map the toughest glare she could muster, she hopped on her bike again, muttering something about the female-dog of a certain piece of misleading paper. Alice Academy, though a school, was a famous national attraction located in the heart of the country, yet why couldn't she find it?

Fortunately, her horrible sense of direction decided to take a break, and when she turned at the corner, she found herself face to face with a series of tall, towering gates, black brass and ornate, literally screaming, "I'm worth more than your house!"

Only happening on numbered occasions, her mind was speechless and silent.

It wasn't like Mikan was _completely_ clueless about the world. Sure, she knew about the neat stuff and geek stuff, the do's and the don'ts. Since Mikan could remember, _everyone_ talked about Alice Academy. It was not just an academy, it was _the _Academy, with a capital A, at that. _The_ Academy for _the_ rich, _the_ smart, _the_ famous. Even three year-olds knew about Alice Academy. If you did not have connections or the money, all you could do was pray that you had either the brains or the brawns. And even then, admission was harsh - Alice Academy had an aristocratic history, and to this day they stressed image and etiquette.

Mikan never thought too much about it. She was her own little self, and her life consisted of her loving family, her supportive friends, a well-to-do school, and a comfortable job. Of course, you can't forget her favorite Howalons, but. . . .

Between the heavy metal bars, Mikan could see a heavily-financed and luxurious estate sprawled out before her. The architecture featured royal Victorian influences, with decorative manor-like buildings and campuses, smooth marbled-granite and concrete covering areas that weren't bestowed with nature. Luscious pools of healthy green grass cut to the perfect height, with aesthetic patches of flowers, added color to the fantasy landscape. Even the trees and bushes were artistically cut and strategically placed everywhere. As her brown eyes absorbed the scene, she highly doubted that you could find a better school anywhere in the world (except for Hogwarts, of course. No one could beat Hogwarts. Where else would they serve treacle tarts and butterbeer? Seriously, and those adorable messenger owls—Anyway, back onto the story!)

Her dream-like trance was interrupted, quite rudely if you ask me, by a voice so rich and deep it put the bass member of the string family to shame. "Miss? How may I help you?"

Mikan jumped slightly, turned to the owner of the voice (which turned out to be a muscular and built guard dressed in a suit so large it just _had_ to be custom made, like YaoMing's shoes), and presented her _Umenomiya Confectionaries Shoppe_ ID as well as a receipt, proving that she was not just a random admirer who happened to stumble in and locate the entrance.

His eyes scanned over the items, and he nodded at the boxes of sweets Mikan was holding. He disappeared back into the booth by the gates, and a few seconds later, the heavy gates squeaked open, and - whatever the red laser lights were doing there! - the extra-security measures deactivated.

_'. . . This __will be__ the last time I deliver here. . . .'_

Mikan cautiously entered and sighed in relief when she passed the security check, unsure of what to do with her bike, with herself, and nodded politely to the guard before hurrying on.

"Wait," the macho man called after, "It's a large place; I'll have an escort come by in a moment."

Overwhelmed slightly, she awkwardly stood there, clutching her delivery when a vehicle the size of a small golf-cart wheeled by, a bored young man with a mushroom-cut motioning for her to get in, and if she would please buckle up, as they would be going quite fast.

Quite fast was an understatement.

By the time they got to what the mushroom-dude referred to as the West Division, Mikan swore that she would kill her buddy when she got home, friend or not, job or not, _boss's daughter or not_.

A robotic bell-girl took over when Mikan got off the vehicle, and she guided her all the way, up high, until they were in front of mahogany doors, gold-plated with, "MIDDLE-SCHOOL PRINCIPAL".

_'I think I'm at the right place. . . . I'm pretty sure I am. . . . Right?"  
_  
The door opened, and at the far end of the room, by the wall made of solid glass, a man (in his late thirties) with strands of silver hair sat, trying to do file work, but evidently failing epically. His name was Shiki Matsuchika, and he was more than glad to see his Howalons.

"Thank you," he smiled kindly, as he handed over a check with gold lining, "There's just something about _Umenomiya's_ that makes it one-of-a-kind. Nothing you can get on campus."

His computer started beeping. Mikan just smiled nervously and slowly walked backwards until she felt the heavy doors against her back.

"Thank you for your business, and we hope to hear from you soon-"

As soon as her mandatory end-of-a-purchase speech ended, she fumbled with the doorknob and ran out. Damn, this school was designed to _intimidate_. Just when she thought she was safe from other performers of the freak show, a blonde girl rushed past her, leaving behind a powerful trail of the new _Harada Sensations Berry Series_ perfume. The girl was pretty, wearing an elegant black-and-blue uniform, but her voice was like a seagull's, squealing and screeching as she made, what it seemed like, the announcement of the century.

"Middle School Class B's Kazuki Kobayashi has gotten a red note! Repeat, Middle School Class B's Kazuki Kobayashi has gotten a red note!"

An explosion of pandemonium soon followed the girl as she continued to flit down the hall, spreading news of the rumored red-noted Kazuki. From behind the door, books crashed, chairs shoved, desks knocked over, and a human tidal wave poured out.

_'Um. . . .?'_

"Ah! Why Kazuki-kun! He-"

"He was a handsome guy too-"

"I heard he ended up buying the same-"

Mikan's ears only caught snippets of chatter as blurs of black, blue, and other snippets of color whooshed past her. Beyond confused, all the brunette did was stand there flabbergasted, before she herself was whisked off by the crowd to an area by what seemed to be the lobby. After some shuffling, a disheveled guy showing signs of being dunked in Funfetti cake batter was thrown out into the empty center of a crowd.

"See ya, Kazu! Sad to see you go, but it has to be done!"

"You're so sweet, you'd make a good cupcake if we could bake you!"

Mikan gagged at this comment, and her mind flooded with question marks.

"They're here!" a random girl shrieked in ecstasy, "Make way!"

Giddy chatter and murmurs immediately filled the lobby. Desperate for any explanation, _any_, she whipped her head around and found someone poised by the stair railing with an expensive camera in hand. She was wearing a variation of the uniform, in honey-yellow rather than blue.

"Hey, uh, sorry. I'm not from here. What's happening?"

The girl slowly turned to reveal eyes that could rival a brick when it came to the emotion. Her purple-tinted bob framed a rather sightly but pale face; her black eyes stared her down, but not formidably. Well, at least not intentionally.

"I don't know how you infiltrated. Or why you'd do so. But, look," she pointed at the entrance of the lobby.

She saw shadows making their way to the fortified glass entrance. And if she squinted hard enough, it was _four_ shadows.

"Welcome to Alice Academy, Outsider," the purple-head monotonously preached, like she was reading a report, "Meet the infamous Alice 4."

_To Be Continued …_

* * *

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

Oh my god, that was finally finished. And finally edited.

What did you think of it? Was it too long? Too short? Pretty decent? Just plain horrible? Pathetic?

Leave a review, and let me know what you think… This takes hard work and a deep tolerance of Angry Asian Parents. You don't know how much it'd mean to me to wake up in the morning, check my email and see those adorable notification emails from 3~

I'll leave for now, but make sure to let me know your precious feedback as readers! I'm a one-woman team, and only a one-woman team, with the occasional appearances of chocolate and pecan pie, so I am in _no_ position to judge my writing XD~

Love,  
_iTomo_

PS: Sing to the tune of that weird I-Love-You-You-Love-Me Barney song :D~!

I LOVE WRITING

YOU LOVE READING (I HOPE)

LET'S MAKE iTOMO HAPPY

AND DON'T LET HER MOPE

IT TAKES BARELY ANY MUSCLE

JUST A THOUGHTFUL FLICK

LET'S BE NICE

IT'S JUST ONE

CLICK

V

V

V

V

*You liked my song, didn't you? BD*


	2. The Commoner and Her Shoe

**Hana Yori Dango : Gakuen Alice Edition**

Authoress: iTomo  
Chapter: Two – The Commoner and Her Shoe  
Published: January 16, 2010 - Revised July 14, 2013  
Notes: I hate cliché-ness, so if you kinda predicted that something like this will happen, let me know so I can work on making stuff unpredictable.

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

Thank you so much for the lovely reviews~ 'Cause when people don't review I am no longer motivated to write… Not that my stories are anything spectacular, just a nice stress reliever from life =D On with the story…!

Love,  
_iTomo_

* * *

"_Welcome to Alice Academy, Outsider," the purple-head monotonously spoke, "Meet the infamous Alice 4."_

_._

_._

_._

Mikan almost snorted. And ladies do _not_ snort.

**'**_Alice 4? Oh, come on, even the brother I never had could've done better. . . .'_

But she kept the thought to herself (which was probably the smart thing to do) and redirected her attention back to the entrance of the lobby, where the four shadows were taking an awful lot of time in actually appearing in front of crowd. Flashy, no?

"So," she spoke to her new ice cube of an acquaintance, " What's the Alice 4?"

The stoic girl slightly twitched, and called out to someone. "Permy."

Permy was, apparently, a girl with permed green hair. She was a few steps below them, jumping up and down to get a better look at the entrance, when she heard her name and turned around.

"Permy," the girl repeated, "Come here. I found someone for you to play with. Unfortunate Outsider, please meet Lady Seaweed. She talks a lot."

The Unfortunate Outsider didn't exactly love her nickname, and from Lady Seaweed's expression, she didn't either. The so-called Permy distorted her face into a few more troubled expressions before sighing and gesturing her fellow victim to her side.

"Don't worry, Hotaru's a good girl," she muttered under her breath. "Just takes some time to get used to her humor. I'm Sumire."

Mikan smiled reflexively. "So that's Hotaru, huh. I'm Mikan."

"They're coming," Ice Queen Hotaru called out from behind them, and Mikan heard a few camera shots.

"Wait, so who's-" the brunette asked, still confused, before having her breath stop halfway in her throat.

The shadows transformed into hot people. A miracle. She hasn't seen anything so hot since she saw Jacob's abs in _New Moon_, and that was definitely some lovely eye-candy right there.

The first young man to make an entrance was dressed in all black and had enticing eyes. They were a brilliant shade of red, so deep and rich that they almost looked like liquid ruby. He had a shock of black hair that was perfectly styled, as if the individual strands were afraid to disobey. His head was held high, and he looked straight in front of him: a definite sign of an aristocrat in modern society. A look of boredom and blasé-ness donned the chiseled features of his unmarred and lightly-tanned face. His left ear was clipped with a gold and ruby earring that made girls sigh. If Mikan's mind wasn't scarred from seeing Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in _Twilight_, and this A4 guy ditched the tan and borrowed some makeup from Buffy the Clown, he would be, hands down, the hottest vampire alive.

"Oh. Gosh. He's . . . hot," Mikan blinked.

Hotaru snorted. "High School Second-Year, Natsume Hyuuga."

"Lord, even his_ name_ is hot. . . . Natsume Hyuuga. I see. . . . _What? _Wait, as in _Natsume Hyuuga_?"

Sumire grinned, "Yep, sorry dear, it's the one and only. The eldest son of the twelfth generation (quite a mouthful, isn't it?), Natsume-sama is heir of the wealthy and famous Hyuuga Corporation. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but this doesn't mean he's incapable. He is one of the most sought after young men in Japan, being intelligent, handsome, and rich. His great-grandparents were one of the founders of Alice Academy, and even now, his parents manage the board on the side and donate money to the treasury, so it's not like anyone can do anything if Natsume-sama creates disruption in school. I highly recommend you not to bother him; he's pretty stoic, and if he gives mercy, the pigs start flying."

Mikan made a mental note to buy some pigs and a slingshot one day.

"But of course, he has so much power in his hands you shouldn't blame him for being the way he is," Permy hastily added, trying to defend her idol.

Mikan nodded. Hyuuga Corp was the primary sponsor of 65% of all businesses in Japan, with companies scattered around the globe. That's literally how powerful they were.

"Next. Third-Year, Tsubasa Andou."

The right-hand young man looked slightly older than Natsume, but he was definitely not lacking in the handsome department. His soft hair was a dark blue, dark enough that it could pass as a hue between navy and black, and stray locks nestled on his forehead, slightly covering his left eye. It complimented his skin tone perfectly; it was tanned three shades darker than the heir from Hyuuga. Tsubasa's eyes were around the same beautiful shade of blue as his hair; his eyes teasing and so arrogantly seducing that you were semiconsciously sucked in. Just two centimeters below his right eye was a mole or tattoo. If you stared hard enough and managed to pull your eyes away from _his _eyes, it was a star. His lips were set in a small smirk, as if he knew a secret no one else did.

"Tsubasa Andou-sama is Natsume's second cousin; you can definitely see how the sexy genes got around. He's a year older than us, top of his grade, is a natural athlete, and can play the trumpet extremely well. He's just so perfect, you know, and on top of that he actually flirts and interacts with us girls. Oh Lord. I actually like him _so_ much better than Natsu—"

"Permy, stay on topic."

"—So like I was saying, um, Tsubasa-sama is the second child of Andou, Inc., but he's supposedly the heir anyway because his older sister just got married off to some foreign clothing designer, which is _so_ hot; they have such a great family tree—"

"Permy," Hotaru warned once more.

"—And he's awfully tight with Natsume. Well, Natsume's tight with all of them, so—"

"I swear, Permy."

"—So they have a really nice relationship, and same goes with their fams. They hold collab events, and god, he looks _so_ dashing in a—"

"Wow," was Mikan's only reaction.

"Second-Year, Ruka Nogi."

The third one to enter could have passed as a Western model. In contrast to his previous friends, he was not tan, but rather pale (not vampire-pale, as the authoress would _never_ do that to Ruka). He looked perfectly at ease under his shock of blond hair. It was a perfect shade of blonde, not dark or strawberry or unnatural Sailor-Moon blonde. His blue eyes captured the essence of the beautiful ocean, and they looked almost like pools of aquamarine liquid in artificial light. Unlike the previous two, his ears were pure and free of any earrings. He was adorable, God forgive her.

"Ruka's from the Nogi family, who has carried a long line of extremely successful doctors, veterinarians, and scientists. He is the only child of his generation in the family business so far, so there are lots of expectations for him. He's doing a great job, though. I think his mother is the beautiful French actress, Reina Marien. That's where he gets his looks from. At the age of 11, he has helped unlock a main source of information in the study of extreme hormonal tension between dung beetles during mating—"

Mikan hurriedly nodded, because seriously? She didn't want to know any more about a bug's sex life.

"Last but not least, First-Year, Youichi Hijiri," Hotaru finally announced, as if she was giving a report on New York's weather. Which, by the way, is quite boring.

Youichi was evidently smaller than his fellow A4 friends, but he was still a little prince. His gray eyes were as lively and curious as gray eyes could get, but his facial expressions imitated that of Natsume Hyuuga. He had a head full of silver locks, with occasional green streaks, fashionably assymetrical. He flicked his head slightly to the right, and his hair-swish was met with seagull-screams from the girls. On both his earlobes sat a pair of emerald studs. Mikan was sure that he was the only guy who still looked manly with accessories like that.

'_Definitely a case of Draco-Malfoy-itus_,' Mikan grimly thought.

"Ooh, he's a _definite_ cutie. Youichi Hijiri's family runs _quite_ an extensive line of traditional teas. Ever heard of _Hijiri's Best_? No? Oh dear, the disadvantages of being a commoner… Well, that's what his father manages. I know his mother is one of the greatest Japanese producers in America right now; she is producing a new movie with Angelina Jolie and stuff. There was a rumor going around that a huge collab with Hayao Miyazaki is in the works. He is quite the elegant prince, and I swear, he looks _so_ hot doing tea ceremonies."

'_Wait, scratch what I said, this guy is twisted, I mean, he doesn't fit into a category!_'

The A4 stood there, bored. Kazuki stared up at them, confused as to whether he should play the role of a scared victim or try to stand up. It was an awkward scene with hints of drama, Mikan admitted.

"Well, what's this?" Tsubasa Andou peered at Kazuki, who struggled to stand up.

Ruka Nogi spoke up, quietly, "You gave him a red note."

"Ah."

Youichi stepped out of line and casually strolled over to where their victim was. The atmosphere wavered between anticipation and anxiety as the light rhythm of the Hijiri's shoes echoed throughout the lobby. When he reached Kazuki, he crouched gracefully until he was slightly eye level with the young man on the floor.

"What's wrong?" he asked, childishly.

'_How cute_.' Mikan internally squealed. Kazuki thought otherwise

"Tch," he muttered, "Who the hell do you _think_ you are? You closed down my parents' company. You're all _disgusting_."

A quick series of gasps made its way around the room while Youichi frowned. "You're a meanie butt."

"Youichi."

The first-year's head shot up, and he pouted as he shot an inquiring look at the leader who spoke. "It's not worth it."

The boy scowled but stopped goading the victim. Natsume took even slower, even more dramatic steps towards Kazuki, and with one hand, he lifted the man up by the collar.

'_Okay, either Kazuki has the body of a wimp, or Hyuuga is jacked. I'm leaning towards the third option, whatever it is._'

"First of all," Natsume's lone voice echoed throughout the hall with a hint of boredom. "They had nothing to do with your family." Kazuki struggled in his predator's stone grip and attempted to get his feet back on the floor.

Natsume's eyes quickly swept across the room before his fingers tightened dangerously near the now-very-vulnerable throat of his victim. "Apologize to him."

Mikan's own set of fingers unknowingly wove themselves into her hat, pulling at the straws. Was this guy out of his mind? Was he seriously going to kill the guy? Moreover, with a freaking _audience_? Kazuki was struggling for control, his hands helplessly clawing at the murderous pair of hands under his chin.

"Oi, oi, Natsume," to Mikan's relief, Tsubasa cut in, swiftly but smoothly walking over to his cousin, "Let him breathe."

Natsume frowned slightly, _so very slightly_, and said, "No."

Before Mikan knew it, her shoe was off her foot and chucked across the room to where the A4 and their toy was.

'_Oh my god. Is that my shoe? Did I just throw my shoe? Oh my god. I should do this kind of thinking before I start hurling shoes at hot guys. Oh my god._'

Thankfully for the fan girls, Tsubasa instinctively caught the ugly brown shoe before it got a chance to touch any fiber of their idol. Natsume's clutch on Kazuki's collar loosened, and the latter dropped to the floor in a lump of huffing human.

"What the hell? Who just throw this, um . . . shoe?" Tsubasa's eyed the shoe warily before scanning the group of students. Natsume's red eyes glowed an accusing shade of ruby as he stared in Mikan's general direction.

"There."

Next to Mikan, Sumire started squealing, "EEK. HE'S LOOKING OVER HERE . . . !"

…which drew everyone's attention to the trio in the back. Hotaru continued looking through her shots on the camera up in her nest, but Sumire turned a weird shade of green (contrasting nicely against her hair, by the way) and fainted.

Meek and helpless, and also quite stupidly and cluelessly, Mikan raised her hand, "I did it . . . I think."

* * *

While this conflict was going on amongst the students in one wing of the school, a certain blonde was also having a conflict of his own in the opposite hemisphere of the campus.

"But sir!" Narumi L. Anju hurriedly whined into his iPhone.

After some mumbles from the other party on the line, Narumi-sensei gave a deep sigh before continuing to ramble on, "Pardon me, sir, for interrupting, but you see, the public, yes, the _public_ is coming up with some stupid rumor. You can shut the media up, but it's still going to be a _freaking uproar_."

_Mumble? Mumbitty, mumble-blah? Boomble!_

"Why? They're saying that we're being biased! I mean— Exactly, sir! They're going on about some bourgeoisie privilege and about how the proletariat should rush the social revolution. Have they even read Marx's Communist Manifesto? What happened to Lenin!"

. . . ._Mah. Mermble, marmalade. Bahble, bim?_

"What-? Oh dear, one moment, sir, I have a call from Matsuchika. Okay, I'll speak to you later. Mhm, alright. Bye."

And with a relieved sigh, Narumi ended his call and turned to the blinking light on his desk. With a click, a shaky projection of the aforementioned principal popped up.

Warily, he turned to the dimensional image.

"Matsuchika."

"_Narumi. __Just thought you should know that they're acting up again in the lobby of the West Wing."_

"Do something, Shiki. I thought you were in charge of that area."

"_I'm at the HQ right now__. I have something to take care of."_

". . . Fine, I'll be there in a moment," he muttered, and with another click, Mister Matsuchika's face and voice disappeared from the room. Grabbing his iPhone and a random document from a stack on his desk, the vice-president of Alice Academy warily made his way to the other side of the school.

It was tiring, taking care of so many school affairs. His close friendship with the Hyuuga head and mistress made him one of the most respectable bachelors in Japan, and it earned him a high-position in society as well as a convenient flow of income. It was exasperating, though, how he had to constantly deal with half of the stupid media and PR. As he made his way to the installed trolley in the academy, he thought and thought about how plainly exasperating everything was.

As expected, the trolley was empty.

_Of course_, he sighed, _they're all watching another one of their tantrums_.

He leaned against one of the windows of the in-school railway and stared out of the glass boundaries. Alice Academy, seriously, was a nice school. I mean, with so much money invested into it, how could it not be? Every inch of the campus was squeaky clean and aristocratic in every design, air, and feel. The teachers were top-notch, and facilities were state-of-art. What more could you ask for?

But ah, yes, Narumi's face twisted into a sour expression: the stupid media was the cause of all his troubles.

Rumors were dangerously sprouting everywhere, that Alice Academy was only accepting those socially-stable, economically-stable, etc. That wasn't _exactly_ true. Sure, they did provide education to stars, like the budding model _Luna Koizumi_, and it's not like they purposely sought out _Kokoro Yome_, the son of a multi-millionaire, but it was just how the cards were played. Narumi seriously had enough of all this. He was only 29, too young to be dealing with all this.

'_God, I have to get this problem out of the spotlight before anything worse happens_,' he helplessly thought as he exited the trolley, which stopped a good few meters away from the crowd in the lobby.

Forcing authority into his voice once more, he stepped into the danger zone, menacingly slapping the document file against his thigh. "Excuse me, guys, sorry about this, hey-"

As one of the most admired (and handsomest) teachers in the school, the students all gave way until Narumi arrived in the center of the chaotic pandemonium. He was met with the typical brats, and -

"A girl? Goodness, boys, you're starting to bully little girls?" he incredulously said.

Tsubasa grimaced slightly, "Naru. You ruin the fun."

"Oh, but I'd rather not, Tsubasa-kun. There's going to be a documentary about the perfume monopoly on television, and I feel that my free-period should be righteously spent watching it— I should_ not_ be here lecturing you guys."

When the audience around them started whispering about this, Narumi took the chance to quickly observe the scene. The girl he saw, oddly familiar . . . was dressed in the uniform of another school. Oh? An outsider?

"You," he tried to make this sound gentle, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh! I was here to deliver Howalons to a Matsuchika-san . . . ?" she hesitantly said as she peered up at the man with confused eyes.

'_So he had time to eat Howalons but not take care of this. . . .'_

"And did you?"

"Of course! But then—"

"—She threw her shoe at me," Natsume Hyuuga cut off the girl and massaged the bridge of his nose. She was such an inconvenience to his morning.

As a testament, the brunette flushed and stared down at her feet.

"Where do you go to school? Shouldn't you be in class by now?" Narumi inspected this girl.

Once again, her eyes wandered around everywhere before finally settling down in a rush, "Um, I attend the, um, the high school by the plaza. I was supposed to leave, but I, you know, got delayed."

"A commoner," Tsubasa shivered slightly, clearly unhappy that he was put in such an awkward situation.

This comment was met by some giggles in the audience, an indignant "Hey!" from the girl, and some shuffling from A4. Narumi continued staring at the girl.

"And your name, Miss . . . ?" he asked.

"Sakura! Mikan Sakura."

"I see. Come with me for a sec, Miss Sakura. And you, Natsume, come along."

"What now?" the heir mumbled sourly.

"Your father might want to speak to you."

"Make it fast."

Narumi dryly smiled, "It will be, don't worry."

* * *

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

Agh, sorry for dragging the story on so much. I'm a retard like that. It was hard for me to keep Natsume at a consistent attitude, and such, cause he's supposed to be cool, and he's supposed to respect Narumi slightly, but I'm also trying to make him very powerful. Fail.

Sigh. I promise things will start to get moving next chapter. I seriously promise. Now, time to thank my lovely reviewers! I have replied to them all by PM, unless they have disabled the option, or are anonymous:

**2Lazy2MakeAnAccount** : Haha, thank you so much for your review! It was the first one for this account, so it was super important =D I made this chapter longer; I hope you'll enjoy it! It's not actually my first story, but the first one on this account at least XD  
**JuSt To RaNdOm  
****San Cai, Makino, Jan Di, Mikan** : I'll definitely continue this story :] I'm glad you liked it, and yes, indeed, it gave a whole new twist to the stories XD I'll do my best! And about reading the original manga, well, I'll see if I have enough time :D  
**natsumikanlove  
*****_*** - Haha, I try to make my stories as un-cliché as possible, so sorry, there will be no Mikan kicking the asses of our lovely hot guys. But thanks for the review anyway :D I appreciate it~  
**TheBlackSwallow  
****frowninggivesyouwrinkles  
****jazziscool  
****abbyciel  
****Riru-chan** – Hey there! Yes, I am 13, and I'm glad you think so highly of my writing :D And hehe, I love Koko and Kitsune-me, but I thought that Tsubasa and Youichi would fit the hot-and-cool image better~!  
**zZznoobwriterzZz** – Oh dear, you're not anonymous, but I think I forgot to PM you XD Anyway, LOL, yes, Anna-chan is so scary XD Glad you liked it =D  
**Fr3Ya-cHaN** – Thanks for your support! I'm glad you like the story :]

Rawr, next time I'll just reply to everyone in the chapter. What do you think?

Love,  
_iTomo_

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You know you like it.

Review for Natsume and Tsubasa.

Review for hot guys in earrings.

Review for me, because my life is drabby.

Review for me, because nothing good happens in my social life.

Review because I'll continue to sing if you don't.

Just kidding. I love you guys.

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	3. 3 Poops, and You're In!

**Hana Yori Dango : Gakuen Alice Edition**

Authoress: iTomo  
Chapter: Three – 3 Poops, and You're In!  
Published: July 16, 2010 - Revised July 14, 2013  
Notes: I break a lot of fourth walls in this chapter. Beware! And lots of POV-switches!  
Disclaimer: iTomo is actually JK Rowling's sister. I mean, after all, I had to learn the _hard_ way that sarcasm really doesn't work online. I don't _Gakuen Alice_ or _Hana Yori Dango_. There.

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

And so, as a pathetic authoress with no excuse, I have to apologize to you all for such a late chapter. Thanks to all you guys who did the usual (: I appreciate it very much, seriously.

Love,

_iTomo_

PS: I really hate formatting these chapters. Maybe I should just be carefree and just upload chapters without all this mumbo-jumbo. Screw me.

* * *

_"I see. Come with me for a sec, Miss Sakura. And you, Natsume, come along."_

_"What now?" the heir mumbled sourly._

_"Your father might want to speak to you."_

_"Make it fast."_

_Narumi dryly smiled, "It will be, don't worry."_

_._

_._

_._

Narumi knew that he was a smart man. After all, his boss was a _Hyuuga_, and we all know that anyone whose last name was Hyuuga was pretty darn smart, regardless of what anime they may be from. And Mister Hyuuga did_ not _hire stupid people. Using his iPhone, Narumi ran a quick background check on this Mikan Sakura, quietly snapping a photo to speed up the search. His results from the government database bore fruit, and his eyes widened.

'_Hm. Interesting._'

The older he got, the more distasteful life had become. But once in awhile, things would become interesting. That's why he didn't mind the glares Natsume was shooting at his head or the clueless vibes Miss Sakura was sending in his direction. He knew what he was doing, or at least he thought so. He herded them into a trolley.

.

.

.

FROM: Narumi  
TO: The Boss  
MESSAGE:

_Have you heard of Izumi Yukihira?_

.

.

.

FROM: Shou Hyuuga  
TO: Narumi  
MESSAGE:

_The social activist, in LA, that gained popularity a few years back? He was a transfer student for a few years?_

.

.

.

FROM: Narumi  
TO: The Boss  
MESSAGE:

_I have his and Yuka Azumi's daughter with me. Coming up now. Do not mention while girl is in room with us. Will talk to you after._

* * *

Natsume Hyuuga.

Even his name intimidated people. And the young man was only 16. He had the maturity that generally came to people turning 25, but the carelessness of a teenager with lots and lots of power. He listens and acts accordingly, but he doesn't defer to anyone . . .

…other than his parents of course (because that's what parents are for) and _sometimes_, let's emphasize, _sometimes _Narumi. The man was practically an uncle.

But why did _he, _the great Mister Hyuuga Jr, have to be bunched up with this _mere commoner_?

Natsume wasn't a mean guy, honestly. Just because he was selective with his company, and even more so, with his conversational partners, he wasn't cold. Just a bit introverted. He frowned at his reflection in the window. Damn girls all squealed incoherently anyway - that isn't even considered talking in proper society, you know. Life was just too easy for him; perfection was attainable:

- He goes to the gym every few days. Some days for weight-building, though that was really more of Tsubasa's thing, some days for a full body tone.

- There was something about being taught to play the piano at the age of three that kickstarted his critical thinking abilities - he was smart.

- People tended to avoid books written before the 20th century - it really was no issue if you grew up reading traditional Japanese poetry and Charles Dickens (translated, until he turned thirteen).

- Okay, so he had the money.

- His family tree was basically the perfect model of selective breeding; when good-looking folks got married to other good-looking folks, their children tended to be good-looking folks as well. Except for his third cousin twice-removed. What happened there? Well, after twelve generations of fine ancestry, it was inevitable that Natsume and his little sister, Aoi, were good-looking.

- He can make a very good cheesecake. That's about it for cooking, though.

Natsume didn't even bother looking at Narumi or that commoner when they got off the trolley.

.

.

.

FROM: Tsubasa  
TO: Natsumeh  
MESSAGE:

_Are you ok_

.

.

.

FROM: Natsume  
TO: Idiot Cousin  
MESSAGE:

_Are you really asking me that_

* * *

Mikan Sakura. Okay, then.

It wasn't like there was nothing special about her. Mikan Sakura, if anything, was one of the sweetest and loyalest people you could have the misfortune to meet - it was simply a side effect of being naive and happy. There was something about her that forever made you feel like a crappy friend. Her all-time favorite hobby was smiling. She certainly wasn't ugly; it just took time to notice her beauty, whereas model-types are immediately distinguished as gorgeous. Mikan was a tiny bit above average when it came to studies, and pretty above average in Spanish (why she took that class, she did not know).

- Mikan did not go to the gym every few days, but she was a fall & winter competitive cheerleader, and an on-and-off track-runner because the daily practice thing really turned her off.

- She isn't a superb singer, but at least her tone is sweet, characteristic of a sixteen year-old girl. She sounds good singing choir songs, which is no fun when she and her friends go to karaoke bars.

- Her interest in manga caused her to start drawing. Her style is similar to that of Higuchi Tachibana, who no one really heard of. **(AN: Wink. Haha.)**

- Her favorite foreign author is Gabriel García Márquez, though it took her a few ages to get through one novella.

- Mikan felt that her chest wasn't big enough to make up for her lack of butt.

Sighing, she made her way off the trolley, her straw hat looking really out of place indoors.

.

.

.

FROM: Anna  
TO: Mikannn:)  
MESSAGE:

_Ur grandfather asked me to relay this msg becuz he doesn't know how to text. LOL I quote: Mikan where are you! Your parents leave for a business trip and now you're not attending school? Don't make me call them._

.

.

.

FROM: Mikan  
TO: Princess Howalon  
MESSAGE:

_Tell him I'm ok. I'm at Alice Academy. Have a few things to take care of. Tell you later._

.

.

.

FROM: Anna  
TO: Mikannn:)  
MESSAGE:

_WHAT! TELL ME NOW!_

.

.

.

FROM: Anna  
TO: Mikannn:)  
MESSAGE:

_TELLLLLLLLLLLL MEEEEE_

* * *

Narumi gradually stopped just outside an intimidating set of polished dark wooden doors, complete with blinding gold handles and a matching plate sporting, "_Presidential Office_" in a script so fancy you could barely read it. He casually cracked his poor back and massaged his neck before placing a loose fist over the smooth surface of the door.

Then he knocked. The rich sound of knuckle-meeting-oak was met with a buzz and then a click, followed by an automated rumbling baritone, "Come in!"

And so they did. If they had only known what Life in store for them, they would've both taken the next flight to the other side of the world. Well, Natsume would have, in a personal luxury jet. Mikan would have just went home and read manga.

* * *

She was amazed.

He was bored.

The room was large, needless to say, tall, and reeked of pure money.

The vast floor was covered in mahogany panels, on which their careful footsteps echoed. Exotic memorabilia sat in glass cases around the room, while various potted plants obediently stood in their pots. Colorful HD pictures were edged with elaborate frames and hung on the textured cream walls. Towards the back-center of the oval room sat an elongated work-desk, neatly topped with documents, writing utensils, a name-plate reading "Mister Shou Hyuuga", and a high-tech computer. Behind that was a wall completely made of glass that looked over the central of the whole academy, and only custom-made silk-and-velvet cream curtains managed to cover this elephant of a window.

From a door on the right, a man with light-colored hair strolled in, apparently anxious, with an iPhone glued to the left side of his face. He sat himself down in the big leather swivel chair.

"I won't lie to you. It's risky, but it's worth it."

After some more nonsensical business bull and bear rambles about the pros and cons of selling particular Nico stocks, the man heaved a terribly-troublesome sigh, stabbed the red _END CALL_ button on the iPhone so ferociously Mikan worried for the condition of the screen, and somewhat-sluggishly turned to the audience of three in front of his desk.

"Naru, Natsume," he simply acknowledged, voice filled with decreasing frustration, "And this is . . . the girl?"

Mikan flushed slightly, wondering if she should introduce herself, when Narumi spoke up.

"Sir, I hope we're not inconveniencing you-"

"Nonsense," the man smiled wearily, "No need for such formalities, Narumi. Is there something wrong? Other than that thing we talked about on the phone."

Narumi shrugged. "Well, the kids acted up again—"

"Again? Oh Natsu—"

"I didn't do anything, old man," Natsume ruefully interjected.

'_That's his father? But they look nothing alike!_'

"I know—"

"That's beside the point, though," Narumi gently pushed the confused brunette over. "Mikan Sakura. A candidate for the solution to the recent media uproar," he introduced, voice slightly basking in pride for finding the answer to whatever the recent media problem was.

Mister Hyuuga raised an eyebrow, rested his elbows on his desk, and politely asked for clarification ("And how do you plan to use her?"), just as Natsume sighed and elegantly plopped himself down in a chair, seeing that he was not going to leave anytime soon.

"Excuse the Marxist terminology," Narumi sat down in the cushioned seat next to the young heir, "She can be the student the proletariat is championing for. Her circumstances make her a logical choice, if you got my text messages. Isn't that exactly what we want?"

The brunette wasn't sure if that was a compliment or insult, but nonetheless bit her tongue and looked at the important Shou Hyuuga. He looked much younger than he did a few minutes ago and was almost looking at Mikan with an expression between wonder and curiosity.

"What do you say?" Mr. Anju ran his fingers through his hair, "Start her out as a two-star?"

_Wait. What?_

"Well, Miss Sakura. Welcome to the Academy!" Shou smiled.

Natsume heaved a sigh.

* * *

Two hours later (Anna had sent her 19 text messages), Mikan was in a big parlor, complete with animal-skinned sofas, crystal chandeliers, gold-edged china teacups no one used but were handy to display, and Persian rugs that looked way too vintage for this super-modern school. She was politely sitting, as a matter of fact _slipping_, on the armchair, using her toes to keep her bottom on the slippery horsehair seat. On her right was a sofa made of the same hair of the poor horse, on which a poker-faced Hotaru Imai primly sat, looking elegant and petite, sipping a cup of peppermint tea (so people really _did_ use those damn teacups!).

On her left was a replica of the sofa Hotaru was sitting on, but instead, Narumi was lounging on it, with a large box next to him. There was an empty armchair across from Mikan, and in the middle of this horse-killing arrangement of plushy seats stood a handsome coffee table that held anything but coffee. This painted a very, very, _very_ awkward picture, as you can tell.

"Oh!" Narumi put down the latest issue of the magazine _ALICE_ and cleared his throat, "Pardon me— Now I assume we don't need introductions? Since Mikan here was present at that fiasco this morning. I'm going to guess that you have somewhat of an idea of why we're sitting here."

He inclined his head towards the brunette while pulling out a package from the box. Mikan's heart fluttered as she saw a set of dark yellow, white, and black clothes in that package. Her eyes widened as Narumi threw the package of clothing to her and laughed as she hesitantly caught it, "As shoujo novels would have it, you get your uniform first. Pretty, isn't it? We updated the style just two semesters ago."

Hotaru raised an eyebrow.

Narumi continued to take more things out of the box and handed a thick, paperback book to Mikan, while explaining, "We'll have to transfer your papers over first, but let me briefly explain how being a student at this academy works.

"To make things short, let's just call the big book you're holding your Guide to Alice Academy. It contains most of the info you need to know about this school. Please, I ask of you, don't lose it. This Academy is an escalator school, so there is an Elementary School in the North, a Middle School in the West, and a High School in the East. The HQ is in the Center. Central Town is down South. A mobile ranking system, ranging from no-star to special-star, helps preserve our merit-based system."

Mikan blinked, before Narumi continued to throw a few more things at her.

"You're in the High School this year. I'd rather not overwhelm you right now, but over the course of next week you'll be registered into the appropriate classes. Try to find an area of study you want to minor in. To get around, you'll need your student ID. You'll have a temporary one for now. The permanent one should be processed at the latest, tomorrow evening."

After a few more rounds of repeated chucking and lecturing, Narumi-sensei stood up with an empty box and was about to take his leave before he stopped once more with a halt.

"Ah, right. And this is your room number." He dug into his pocket and gave Mikan a folded piece of paper. "Your ID serves as the room key. Ever been to a hotel? We function on that kind of system."

"Room number? Room key?" she whispered in both awe and horror as her brain finally put one and one together, "Is Alice Academy a boarding school? I don't remember!"

Narumi stared at her. _Should I have told her earlier on?_

"Uh. Yes, Mikan, dear. I apologize if that happens to be bad news for you. We fear kidnappings and ransoms outside the Academy; most, if not all, the students are high profiled."

"Even me?"

"Once news gets out that we're accepting a _proletariat _scholarship student, per sé, you will be. But no worries! I've already sent two of my assistants over, and they're going to talk to your grandfather."

Mikan frowned. "Grandpa won't leave me."

"This is just a small price to pay for Alice Academy," Narumi said, softly. "You're going to get a top-notch education, Mikan. Think about your future."

Mikan swallowed deeply. A quick tri-tone interrupted her imminent tear fest, and Narumi dug into his breast pocket to look at his iPhone.

"Your grandfather gave us the okay. He's going to send your stuff over. How nice of him."

"I don't want to leave him!"

"Don't worry," he smiled sympathetically, "You'll get to visit them." He left with a quick wave.

Hotaru put down her teacup. "I don't know why you did it, honestly."

Mikan groaned into her hands. "I didn't think it was _this_ easy to get into the Academy. You think I can escape?"

"You can try. Of course, there's a great chance you'll get caught even if, by some miracle, you sneak outside. Even inside the school, they embed tracking devices into your IDs," Hotaru shifted in her seat. "I would know, because I helped design them."

"You did?" Mikan gaped, "How long have you been coming here?"

The short-haired girl tucked her hair behind her small, equally pale ears. "I might've missed kindergarten to third grade. I don't remember."

_Shit shit shit._

"By the way," Hotaru gave her a sympathetic pat, "He lied."

"What?" Mikan was confused.

"He lied," Hotaru continued, "You are _not_ going to see your parents."

* * *

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo__  
_

Dear lovely readers,

Oh my god. Finally finished. I am so pooped out that I'm not even revising it as hard as I usually do with my other chapters DX

I apologize that my humor was lacking in this chapter D: Next chapter will be better… if I can get it out in a timely matter LOL. But really, I appreciate the fact that you guys are sticking with me here 8D And for the thanks –

**JeZ-Amutolover110**

**. RaiNbOw-sOda .**

**bleh123** : Hi there! I'm glad you liked the song LOL (: Thanks for the review, and the A4 guys are so… so… beautiful B)

**LoVE lyQ THiS**

***_*** : OHYES, the guys are so dramatic XD They are big attention-whores, like moi (: BUTBUT if I scar Natsume's face with a dictionary I'll get attacked by the fan girls Dx You can chuck it at him for me :D

**2Lazy2MakeAnAccount** : Aww, your reviews always make me smile 3 I love chocolate too XD Hehe, just catch me in a drama-queen mood, and I'll be like, "I'LL PUT MY SADNESS INTO WRITING AND BE STRONG" and I'll give you long chapters (: OMG, I love reading fanfics on my iPhone too –shot- I'm sincerely flattered by your compliments ;w;… [Pst, I remember finding some bits of humor under my bed. I lost it when I entered middle school, and I'm glad I found it again :D]

**Frowninggivesyouwrinkles**

**PridefulElizondo **: Gracias~ I hope I continue writing chapters you like ^_^

I am so tempted to write a bunch of other fanfics, but I must, I must, continue to update this D It's my precious baby! Thanks, guys, once again. And because I can never stick to previews, I'll give you a song this time!

Love,

_iTomo_

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Sing to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas":

I KNOW THAT MY STORY IS WEIRD

I KNOW THAT I CAN'T WRITE SO WELL

BUT Y'ALL MAKE ME CRY AND FEEL SWELL

SO PLEASE CLICK

AND REVIEW.

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PS: Taking requests for songs to make up lyrics to BD


	4. Bunny Bottoms

**Hana Yori Dango : Gakuen Alice Edition**

Authoress: iTomo  
Chapter: Four – Bunny Bottoms  
Published: August 5, 2010 - Revised July 14, 2013  
Notes: Attempted flirting: Somewhat FAIL

_Amateur Authoress' Office  
__From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

I am tired. But I tried getting this chapter out as soon as possible for you guys, because I made you all wait 7 months for the last chapter XD Thanks to all those that reviewed, favorited, subscribed, etc. I really appreciate it! Although I didn't get as much reviews as I hope I would have, 7 months takes its toll : D

Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to my beloved reviewer, **2Lazy2MakeAnAccount**! She (I'm assuming it's a she, but if it's a he, I'm sorry D: !) always makes me smile with her/his reviews, from the very first chapter of this story. She's/he's an anonymous user, so I can refer y'all to her/his account and stories, or something, but I just want to give a warm shout-out to her/him. Thank you so much 2Lazy2MakeAnAcccount! Hehe.

(Revised note: Hey guys! Updated the plot and fixed some errors now that I've finished the manga.)

Thanks again!  
_iTomo_

* * *

_"By the way," Hotaru gave her a sympathetic pat, "He lied."_

_"What?" Mikan was confused._

_"He lied," Hotaru continued, "You're not going to see your parents."_

**.**

**.**

**.**

**The Complete Guide to the Prestigious Academy of Alice  
**Dedicated to preserving the spirit and high education of the young members of our honored society

**Edition XIV**

**:: Table of Contents ::  
**_**Familiarity of contents is highly recommended.**_**  
**

**Introduction…...iii  
Mission Statement...vii  
Chapter 1: Basic History…...001  
Chapter 2: Objectives…...020  
Chapter 3: Facilities…...023  
Chapter 4: Curriculum…...034  
Chapter 5: Code of Conduct…...057  
Chapter 6: Attire & Dress Code...073  
Chapter 7: Scheduling…...084  
****Chapter 8: Ranks & System…...092  
Chapter 9: Extra-Curriculum…...101  
**_**... on and on and on and on ...**_

.

.

.

Holy shit.

The first page of information in the book was practically endless with topics regarding the said Alice Academy. Mikan's vision clouded with excess dots and bold writing. She was not going to survive in the school – if she managed to survive reading this guide to survival first, that is. Har, har, har.

Hotaru comforted her a bit before her iPhone started buzzing, thus leaving Mikan in the parlor by herself, with her newly-acquired possessions lying around her. Mikan Sakura was officially 3 and a half hours late for her previous school (and Anna's text count was nearing 30), but at this point, she could care less. Her heart was racing and pounding out twenty different emotions – amongst them not only betrayal, anxiety, and hesitance, but hope, excitement, and anticipation, as well.

_Think positively, Mikan. What happened to the strong and happy girl! This isn't terrible. Grandpa just wanted the best for you. He always has. Mama and Daddy would be so proud. The uniform is cute, too. At least you made friends. . . . Hotaru and Sumire seem nice enough. And remember, Mikan, this is _Alice Academy _we're talking about! People would give up a kidney to be in your position! Aren't you lucky? And the guys here are . . ._

". . . hot," she said aloud, completely her thoughts verbally as her mind flashed images of, obviously, A4. However bad their first meeting was, she couldn't deny that they were ridiculously attractive. Her face flushed a shade of pink before she mentally slapped herself out of the reverie.

"Which reminds me— I should go put my stuff away and visit my dorm," she muttered to herself as she got up from the horsehair armchair and put everything back into the box. She dug into her right pocket until her fingers grasped the folded piece of paper Narumi had given her earlier. She stared at the crudely written numbers Narumi had scrawled in black ink.

_919_?

She re-crumbled and re-stuffed the note back into her pocket while she shifted more things into both her arms. Despite her horrible sense of direction, she found her way out of the parlor and into the proper dorm building.

_919. . . . Which means, 9__th__ floor, right?_

And with that in mind, she jabbed the button with her nose, since her hands were full. When the elevator _ding_-ed to a complete stop, the doors slid open, and Mikan gaped for about the tenth time that day.

Floor 9 was just simply gorgeous. Or maybe all the floors were. Aside from the white marble floors, the textured walls, and the very high ceiling, the halls were furnished with simple minimalistic paintings; it was practically a long extrapolation of the office she visited earlier. She hesitantly tiptoed down the hall with her load of items, careful not to disturb the peace that hung in the air.

_If this is where I'm going to live, it'd be like living in a hotel for the rest of my life._

Judging from the gigantic spacing between the doors, Mikan guessed that the rooms were probably pretty big, her brain not being about to produce any more adjectives related to "rich", "big", "aristocratic", or anything of the sort after her visit at the HQ. The numbers on the doors rolled past as she continued down the hall, looking for her room 919.

_900… 902… Oh, these are even-numbers. Then the other side? Um, 905… 907…_

And her mental counting went on until she got to the very end of the hall. The door situated there was by far the biggest one, and the gold plate told her that it was not only Room 919, but also Room 920 to 927.

_Wait. Is this a suite? Should I go in? Am I _even_ supposed to have a suite?_

Deciding that she might as well go in seeing that it _was_ Room 919, she dug into her pocket again for her ID, before realizing that the door was slightly ajar. She pushed against the door with her shoulder, and it opened into a living room. Holy cow. If she thought the rooms before were pretty big, then these were… really, really, _really, really_ big. Like no joke.

She inspected the room once more, taking in her surroundings like a little girl. It was a really pretty dorm, and everything was neat and in place. There were doors that probably led to bedrooms and bathrooms and kitchens, and the best thing was, it was all for her and her suite-mates to live in. She laughed in elation, clearly thinking something along the lines of, "This isn't so bad after all!" After dropping her belongings on the coffee table in the middle of the school, she decided to open a few doors and proceeded to gape at the luxury she was supposed to be living in. Not to her surprise, some of the grand bedrooms she stumbled in on already had signs of life in them, with personalized pictures, items, and clothes thrown on the floor. Her roommates were settled in, she concluded.

Mikan's hand flew to yet another doorknob, and to her surprise, it was a bedroom with little sign of personal life. It was just as big as the other bedrooms she stumbled in on and was furnished exceptionally well. There was a four poster bed covered with plain white sheets and embroidered pillows and coverlets. The gauzy cream curtains were fully drawn back to reveal the wholesome glory of the very comfortable looking arrangement of softness and mattress.

_Is this my room?_

She practically leapt onto the said bed, took in the smell of the clean quilts, before rolling over onto her back and spreading her arms out, eyes closed and mouth turned up into a smile. She was the embodiment of contentment, free without a worry in world. By now, Mikan was pretty much sure that life at Alice Academy would be pretty good…

. . . .That is, until she felt something warm and beating take hold of her wrists. Her eyes shot open and saw a bear over her.

Nah, it was just Natsume Hyuuga staring at her. No big deal.

The. Natsume. Freaking. Hyuuga.

"What the—"

"Answer me. What are you doing here?"

"Uh," Mikan bit her lip, unable to think properly, "You . . . you were there, right? I am, uh, going to be a student here."

"And?" Natsume's eyes bored into her. She didn't notice how murderous they looked before. How could she have thought they lacked emotion?

Her voice got caught in her throat, "What do you mean?"

"Commoner, Citrus fruit, whatever your name was, I still don't understand what that has to do with the fact you're on _my_ bed."

Suddenly her mind added twenty-four and thirty-six to get seventy, and she realized, "Oh! Alice Academy allows dual-gender dorm rooms?"

This time, Natsume blinked twice at her stupidity before answering, "What? . . . Commoner, this is a _guys'_ dorm. You're in _my _room, on _my _bed, and I want _you_ to get _out_. Now."

An awkward silence followed his little outburst, but Mikan killed it with a dagger of naivete.

"But this is Room 919, right?"

"Yeah," he deadpanned. "And that's part of the A4 suite."

The brunette's eyebrows furrowed in concentration and continued to protest despite the fact that Natsume's eyes were getting darker by the second. "Narumi said Room 919 was _my_ room."

"What?" the Hyuuga heir asked incredulously, or as incredulously as a nonchalant and cool person could get, "_Narumi_ _told you this was _your_ room_?"

"Uh, well, he didn't _tell_ me, but he gave me a piece of paper with my number on it… Wait, I'll show you."

Natsume released his vise-like grip of the girl's wrists and got up on his knees while Mikan's hands flew down to her pocket, returning with a piece of crumbled paper, which she handed to the black-haired boy. Also realizing the compromising position she was in, she hurriedly shifted her weight and scurried away from Natsume. She looked up and watched the boy scrutinize her room number.

"See?" she couldn't help blurting out.

"You idiot," he murmured. "I _do_ see. Thank you very much, person. If you learned to use your godforsaken walnut brain once in awhile, you'dsee that this says '616', not '919'."

"What? Let me see!"

And with horror slowly dawning on her face, Mikan Sakura realized that twenty-four plus thirty-six actually equalled sixty, and she was in the wrong room.

* * *

Before you could say "Twilight sucks," Mikan already jumped off the bed and ran out the room, horrified that she had made such a fool of herself, more or less in front of Natsume Hyuuga. It wasn't like she really cared about him, or something like that, but he was hot. And in the unsaid Code of Conduct for Girls, it was known that embarrassing yourself in front of a hot guy was really bad unless you happened to be really beautiful, which she was not, or the star of an anime, manga, drama, etc, which she also was not. **[AN: Haha, oh, the beautiful irony of fanfiction!]**

Clutching the piece of paper in her hand, she rushed out towards the front door of the suite, wallowing in embarrassment. How, just how, stupid was she? Of course it was 616, not 919! She was the perfect example of what _not_ to be in the unsaid Textbook of Common Sense for Girls…!

With these thoughts surfacing and drowning in the ocean she called her head, Mikan paid no attention as she ran straight into a giant peach.

…Or not?

Our lovable and extremely lucky protagonist looked up at what she bumped into and saw that what she thought was a giant hard but fuzzy peach was actually the body of the second hot guy she encountered that day – Tsubasa Andou.

_Jesús Cristo. Ah, mierda, my Spanish is coming out now._

Thank god she hadn't fallen to the floor when she bumped into the pea—I mean, Andou. If she did, her humiliation would have already been off the charts, according to Chapter 6, Section 2, Line 78 of the unsaid Rules for Girls.

"Ouch," the pea—Er, Andou mumbled, rubbing his head, "I always knew I was an _extreme_ chick magnet, but I didn't ask God to send them hurtling at – Hey, aren't you that girl from this morning? Why are you even - You're coming from the direction of Natsume's room! Oh my god, you've sunk to an—"

Before the shell-shocked Mikan could turn another shade of horrification, the unmistakable voice of the guy she never wanted to see again (aw, c'mon who was she kidding; of course she wanted to see him!) came to her, uh, _his_ defense.

"Spare me," he almost smirked at the terror on her face, "I prefer older women."

Tsubasa massaged his head, "God, you're only 16 and -"

"_You're_ only turning 18 in -"

"Natsum-!"

"Tsuba_ka_, leave it. I am a gentleman. Right, Bunny Bottoms?"

"What?" Mikan ignored the fact that he just insinuated something really disturbing and turned to face him, "_Bunny bottoms_? What's that supposed to mean?"

The raven-head raised an eyebrow, "This girl's so dense, she even forgot the pattern of her underwear."

Her face exploded to life, melting in the shades of red and pink.

_Oh my god oh my god __oh my god __oh my god __oh my god __oh my god __oh my god __oh my god -_

"Oh," Tsubasa Andou blinked, "Well, that's not strange. Natsume, we _are _so hot that we make girls forget about things. After all, we developed a worldwide gravitational pull for girls, you know."

Before she shamed her future husband (whoever he was) even _more_, Mikan Sakura aimed a punch at the giant peach slash Tsubasa away and ran so fast her mind had no time to realize that she was wearing shorts under her skirt, and that there was no way in hell he could've seen her underwear.

* * *

_Amateur Authoress' Office_

_From the Desk of iTomo_

Dear lovely readers,

I know that was a shorter chapter compared to what I usually spew out, but I'm leaving some things for me to build on for Chapter 5. I'm going to really work on my stories before high school starts for me.

Do you guys prefer lengthier chapters that release at a slower rate? Or shorter chapters at a faster rate? Let me know!

Anyways, on to the thanks!

** . **  
**Amethyst Petals  
Ayamekochan  
2Lazy2MakeAnAccount  
LoVE lyQ THiS  
Claerine**

Only six reviews, but I really appreciated the feedback! Please send more love and I'll send you a chapter in exchange :D

_iTomo_

PS: Sing to the tune of TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS :

**On the first day of updates, **

**The users gave to me**

**A review built on hospitality.**

_Since I'm running out of songs, I'll sing the SECOND DAY part next chapter, bwahaha._

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	5. The Scholarship Girl

**Boys Before Alices**

Authoress: iTomo  
Chapter: Five – The Scholarship Girl  
Published: July 17, 2013  
Notes: Attempted romance: Somewhat FAIL

_From the Desk of iTomo_

Hello to the readers,

It's been unbelievably long since I posted up a new chapter. My last update was just a massive clean-up. I finished reading the manga and rekindled my interest. I'll keep this short. I'll definitely try to update this often! It's fun. :)

x-and-o,  
_iTomo_

* * *

_"Oh," Tsubasa Andou blinked, "Well, that's not strange. Natsume, we _**are**_ so hot that we make girls forget about things. After all, we developed a worldwide gravitational pull for girls, you know."_

_Before she shamed her future husband (whoever he was) even more, Mikan Sakura aimed a punch at the giant peach slash Tsubasa away and ran so fast her mind had no time to realize that she was wearing shorts under her skirt, and that there was no way in hell he could've seen her underwear._

.

.

.

"Well. That was interesting," Tsubasa muttered as he fell back onto the sofa, massaging his temples. "Did she call me a peach? You heard her call me that, right? Or am I hearing things again?"

"Just my luck," Natsume heaved a sigh. "My head hurts."

"Again?"

". . . The human species happens to be prone to headaches, you know. The Nogi brand of ibuprofen isn't noteworthy just _because _Ruka's face is on the package."

"Yeah, _right_," Tsubasa snickered. "So what did you and your old man end up talking about?"

"The Baltimore Ravens," Natsume said, and then continued when he saw the incredulous look on Tsubasa's face. "It's an American football team."

"I know _that_. . . . but why?"

"He feels pressured to have man-to-man talks now that he's back from the States," he shrugged. "I'm going to the practice room, but I might stop to pick up some meds. You need anything from the Central?"

Tsubasa shook his head. "Nah, I'm good- Actually, get me some gummy bears. I'm going to just lounge here and watch that perfume documentary Naru was talking about earlier. When it comes to perfume, you know who's going to be on." He grinned.

Natsume gave him a sympathetic smile, "I heard she's coming back soon."

"Yeah," Tsubasa said as his grin faded. He clenched the fabric of his chest with a defeated sigh. "I've missed her."

A moment of silence sat placidly in the air before they shook it off. "Actually, I want cream puffs," Tsubasa sheepishly grinned.

* * *

FROM: Anna  
TO: Mikannn:(  
MESSAGE:

_You suck. Do you think I could've gone to alice academy if I had done the delivery?_

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.

.

Eventually Mikan _did_ find her room. It was smaller in size, compared to the suite she just stumbled in on, but nonetheless of the same high quality and ensured the same comfort. Who was she to complain, when she was here on scholarship? She dropped her box on the wooden floor and sprawled across her bed, half expecting Hyuuga to appear and accuse her of being stupid. At this, she cringed, fanning her flaming cheeks. Whether she was embarrassed at the memory or at the image of him was beyond comprehension.

"Nah. They won't remember this tomorrow. I'm just another sorry entity in this humongous school," she murmured into the sheets, attempting to console herself with some happy-go-lucky thoughts. With this in mind, she got up and started inspecting the room whilst putting her stuff away. Her uniform went into the closet: two black blazers lined with yellow, the Academy emblem on the left chest pocket; three plaid skirts in honey-yellow and black; five white button downs of a fine cotton; a grey cashmere sweater; and one honey-yellow tie. A soft sweatsuit was also provided for the days one felt like bumming, and as always, the school insignia was branded on the back of the hooded sweatshirt.

There was a large desk by the window, and an armchair on the opposite side. The room was furnished simply, but tastefully- truly, Mikan thought, reminiscent of a hotel. Once her other belongings arrived, she would set out on making this room hers. At this, a quick thought popped into her mind: Natsume Hyuuga's room did not feel lived in. His room had felt the same room _hers_ did. And she had only arrived that day. Didn't he ever think of furnishing it?

A knock interrupted her stream of consciousness. She rushed to open the door, finding Hotaru on the other side.

"Glad you made it to your room." She invited herself in, gracefully setting herself down on the armchair, barely creasing her immaculate uniform.

Mikan cringed. It seemed as though the world would never let her forget the mishap. "Uh, yeah. Lucky for me, huh. Would've been terrible if I had mistaken 616 for 919 on the paper and walked into a guys' dorm. That would've been so hilarious, don't cha think?"

". . . Is that what happened to you?"

"Oh, no! Thankfully. . . . no!" Mikan shook her head furiously.

Hotaru stared at her for a few seconds, before deciding to drop the subject with a shrug. "Well, as the High School Student Council representative most acquainted with you, I'll be your temporary guide today. You're going to take a few assessments now, so hurry up and change into your new uniform. Less people will stare if you blend in."

Mikan did not need convincing. From the moment she slid the new skirt on, to the moment she pulled on her blazer, she felt this oddness in her stomach. It was like she was a new person. She felt like one. She looked like one. When she looked into the mirror and pulled her hair into a half ponytailed-bun, she knew her life had flipped on a dime.

"If you're done staring at yourself now, we can go get some things done."

Mikan blushed. "Um-"

"I'm just kidding." Hotaru gave a small smile. "Let's go, now."

.

.

.

"We have homeroom, P.E., and Contemporary Literature together," Hotaru later noted as she looked through Mikan's reports. "Your natural sciences assessment was atrocious, by the way."

"I couldn't have guessed." Mikan faked distress. "How'd I do in Spanish?"

"International Baccalaureate Standard Level."

"¿Qué?"

* * *

_**THE ACADEMY BULLETIN  
east division - high school branch  
7 October 20XX**_

**Youichi** Hijiri (Year 1) will hold an upcoming tea & traditional ceremony exhibition on 25 October.  
By invitation only.

**Emma** Watson (Year 4) cries her first week back at the Academy after a Harry Potter get-together.  
News: "I miss it so much; it feels like Crucio."

**Luna** Koizumi (Year 3) collaborates with the American-based SEVENTEEN magazine. Cover girl  
of their November issue. Available for sale (20% off) at the school shoppe in two weeks.

**Natsume** Hyuuga (Year 2) looks hot in the latest Givenchy wool suit in a Russian conference.  
Surprisingly, no vodka was involved.

Budding perfumist & designer **Misaki** Harada (Year 3) to return to Academy soon (dates TBA).

.

.

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Alice Academy scouts scholarship student **Mikan** Sakura (Year 2). Reasons undisclosed.  
From rags to riches? Narumi Anju declines interview.

* * *

.

.

Persona narrowed his eyes and stared at his prodigy student through the glass window. Something was up. Natsume couldn't stop. Ever since he had flown back from the performance at Carnegie Hall, NY, he had barely stayed away from the piano.

_Ah. Beethoven's Pathetique. _He's heard the song a good thousand times, one he assigned Natsume when the boy was just ten, but this was the angriest rendition yet. The first movement neared a furious end; even through the sound-proofed walls, Persona felt the chords pounding themselves into his chest. Before he could start out on the second movement, which was much softer and not as technically demanding, Persona forced his way into the practice room, where Natsume sat, focused and sweaty, in front of a Steinway B grand piano.

"Natsume," he said. "Stop."

The boy didn't even turn around; the only sign that he was listening was the fact that he had withdrawn his hands from the keys and onto his knees.

"You have to stop. I believe in diligence, but you mustn't overwork yourself."

Natsume closed the lid of the piano and bent down to his side. He picked up the bottle of painkillers by his stool and downed two, chugging them down with bottled water. When he was finished with all this, he turned to his teacher, breathing hard through his nose and not saying a word.

"Does it hurt much?"

"No," Natsume answered, before realizing that his pills gave it away. "Just a slight throbbing."

"All the same," Persona said, apologetically, "I advise you to give it a few weeks. Stay away from the piano and take a breather. I recommend Osaka for a change of air. The silence will be good for your ears."

"I'm fine," Natsume answered, gruffly. "Just don't say anything to the old man or Narumi."

"As you wish," the teacher bowed. "But if you had wanted to express your anger, I would've recommended Beethoven's 5th Symphony."

Natsume gave a cold laugh and brushed past him.

* * *

"So _you're_ Mikan Sakura." A tall and slim girl with an elaborate strawberry-blonde up-do stopped in front of Mikan's desk. "The nuisance that threw a shoe at Natsume-sama, huh?"

Mikan blinked up at her. _Whaaaat__?_

"Don't you _know_ your place, commoner?" The girl next to her retorted. She had long, flowing light brown hair, but her face wasn't as pretty as the tall girl's. "If you had made a single _scratch_ on any one of the princes, I would've scratched you."

Mikan frowned. "Uh, sorry. But who _are_ you guys?"

The shorter one gasped in shock. "You don't know us?"

The tall one turned to her. "What do you mean, _us_? Why would she know _you_, Diana? I'm a model. You're not."

Diana flushed, but retreated visibly. "Yes, Luna."

Mikan stood up to leave. If possible, she preferred to stay at least half a kilometer away from long-haired female drama. Unfortunately for her, the two girls continued following her down the stairs and into the lobby, babbling along the way. Mikan practically ran down the stairs, increasing the distance between them because the girls could only clomp so fast wearing five-inch heels.

Luna huffed. "Who is it that you have your greedy little eyes on, huh?"

Mikan internally groaned. "Don't you guys have anything better to do?"

"Someone spotted you coming out of their suite," Diana insulted helpfully when they got to the lobby, trying to regain Luna's approval. "Do commoners not have self respect? Do you people just sleep around?"

"_Excuse_ me?" Mikan spun around, horrified. "What is wrong with you guys? I didn't do anything in there. I just got lost. And what does it matter to you anyway?"

"Getting lost? That's what they all say. And that's what you should do. Get lost. Just not in their suite," Luna crossed her arms. "Take a look at yourself. Now look at me. Back at yourself. Back at me. What do I have that you don't have?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"Pimples," Mikan muttered, "and an attitude problem."

Diana choked back an unattractive snort as Luna screamed and whipped out a small mirror. "That is a mole! You- you lying-"

Mikan braced herself, getting ready to defend herself if she became violently hysterical. Her last cheerleading practice was over a week ago, but she could feel her legs itching to move, to run, to _kick_ annoying brats the way she kicked air, like-

"Ah!" a familiar voice interrupted. "It's Peach Girl!"

Luna gasped. "Tsubasa-kun!" Diana echoed her fawning greetings.

"Peach Girl," Tsubasa repeated, looking at Mikan, "I've been looking for you."

Mikan gave him a look of extreme discomfort and confusion. "You were?"

"Yeah, yeah," he said, nonchalantly, draping an arm around her. "Let's go."

("What are you _doing_?" she asked as she struggled to walk properly.)

Diana looked deeply offended. "You aren't going to last a week!" she said.

"Stay away from Natsume-sama!" Luna screamed. "He's my future husband!"

.

.

"Oui," Tsubasa grimaced when they had walked out of earshot. "Gotta warn the idiot cousin about that."

Mikan shrugged the offending arm off her shoulders, face a delicate pink. "Thanks for getting me away from them."

"Ah," he smirked, "Don't get cocky now. I needed to escape a few obnoxious ladies as well."

"But just the same. . . ."

"You really want to thank me?" Tsubasa laughed freely. "Then give me a kiss!"

"What?!"

"Just kidding," he said as he walked away, lifting his arm up in an arrogant expression of goodbye. "I don't play with little girls."

Thump.

* * *

_Amateur Authoress' Office_

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it, guys. A big hug to my reviewers: Devine Inspiration, MomoneMomo3, 2Lazy2MakeAnAccount, Yuri no Kimi, Kuroichibineko, Lilly, AgentRyde, Brolininthedeep, akadabra-kaching, Darkened Sky Twilight, weemeex, darkjewel512, Guest, Pretty Aurora Dream, AnimeMango, mooshy3712, Guest (2), & InsertStupidNameHere.

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I know it's been practically 3 years since my last solid update. Please don't hate meh.

**song time!**

**(sing to the tune of yankee doodle)**

**i came back; **

**i have not died!**

**my motivation's rekin~dled.**

**but i am lonely;**

**old reviewers have fled,**

**so will you help me**

**instead :D**

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**(can we aim for 60+ reviews? pleaseeee)**


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